Thursday, May 31, 2012

NYC proposes ban on sale of oversize sodas

NEW YORK (AP) ? Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing an unprecedented ban on the sale of large servings of soda and other sugary drinks in the city's restaurants, delis and movie theaters in one of his most aggressive efforts yet to fight obesity.

"The percentage of the population that is obese is skyrocketing," Bloomberg said Thursday on MSNBC. He added: "We've got to do something."

The proposal marks the first time an American city has so directly attempted to limit sugary-drink portion sizes. City officials said they believe it will ultimately prove popular with New Yorkers and push governments around the U.S. to adopt similar rules.

The idea immediately sparked renewed accusations that the Bloomberg administration is sticking its nose into matters best left to individuals.

"New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this. They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase," Coca-Cola Co. said in a statement. "We hope New Yorkers loudly voice their disapproval about this arbitrary mandate."

The proposal requires the approval of the city's Board of Health ? considered likely because its members are all appointed by Bloomberg.

The administration's proposal would impose a 16-ounce limit on sugary drinks sold at restaurants, movie theaters, sports venues and street carts. It would apply to bottled drinks ? many plastic soda bottles contains 20 ounces ? as well as fountain sodas.

Bloomberg said people who want to guzzle 32 ounces would still be free to order two drinks. But he said restricting sodas to 16 ounces could help curb consumption.

"You tend to eat all of the food in the container. If it's bigger, you eat more. If somebody put a smaller glass or plate or bowl in front of you, you would eat less," he said.

The ban, which could take effect as soon as March, would not extend to drinks sold in grocery or convenience stores that don't primarily sell foods meant to be eaten right away. Businesses that violate the rules would face fines of $200 per failed inspection.

The ban would apply only to sweetened drinks that contain more than 25 calories per 8 ounces. (A 12-ounce can of Coke contains about 140 calories.) It would not affect diet soda, and any drink that is at least half milk or milk substitute would be exempt, too.

City officials said they believe some calorie-heavy beverages wouldn't be affected. Starbucks Frappucinos, for example, would probably be exempted because of their dairy content, while the Slurpees at 7-Eleven wouldn't be affected because the stores are regulated as groceries.

Officials cited research linking sugary drinks to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

"We have a crisis of obesity," City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. "And people often go with the default choice, and if the default choice is something which is very unhealthy and is feeding into that health crisis, it's appropriate for the government to say, 'No, we think the default choice should be healthier.'"

Under the three-term mayor, the city has campaigned aggressively against obesity, outlawing trans-fats in french fries and other restaurant food and forcing chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus. The mayor has also led efforts to ban smoking in the city's bars, restaurants, parks and beaches.

His efforts have drawn criticism from those who accuse him of instituting a "nanny state."

"There they go again," said Stefan Friedman, spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, who called the latest proposal "zealous."

"The New York City Health Department's unhealthy obsession with attacking soft drinks is again pushing them over the top," he said. "The city is not going to address the obesity issue by attacking soda because soda is not driving the obesity rates."

The Bloomberg administration has tried other ways to discourage soda consumption. The mayor supported a state tax on sodas, but the measure died in Albany, and he tried to restrict the use of food stamps to buy sodas, an idea federal regulators rejected.

Mark Kalinowski, an analyst with Janney Capital Markets who covers companies including McDonald's, said it is unlikely the ban will be enacted.

"Folks who want to buy Big Gulps and Frappucinos, a lot of those customers, you're only going to be able to take it away from them by prying it out of their cold, dead hands," he said.

And if it does go into effect, he said, customers will probably just respond by ordering two drinks.

"Maybe the mayor can outlaw all soft drinks and outlaw all fun while he's at it," Kalinowski scoffed.

___

Follow Samantha Gross at www.twitter.com/samanthagross

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Accident legal advice | a1 personal injury claims ? How To Claim ...

Car accidents ? If you have a crash with another car you may be able to claim compensation to repair any damage to your car as well as for any injuries suffered such as whiplash. Factors indicating fault include whether lights ? ?

Originally posted here:
Accident legal advice | a1 personal injury claims


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New Zealand triplets, age 2, among Qatar mall dead

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Apple will 'double down' on Siri, says CEO Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook told an audience in California this week that Apple had a 'lot of people' working on a new version of Siri.?

By Matthew Shaer / May 30, 2012

Tim Cook discusses Siri, the voice-activated iPhone app, at an Apple event in March. This week, Cook said Apple would 'double down' on Siri in coming years.

Reuters

Enlarge

Apple will "double down" on Siri, the voice-activated app introduced last year. So says Apple CEO Tim Cook, who told an audience at the annual All Things D Conference yesterday that Siri was the "defining feature" on the best-selling iPhone 4S.?

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"[T]here's more that it can do, and we have a lot of people working on it," Cook said, according to Information Week. "And I think you'll be really pleased with some of the things coming over the coming months. The breadth of it. We have a lot that Siri can do. People have dreamed of this for years, and it's here. Yes it could be broader, but Siri as a feature has moved into the mainstream. So I think you're going to be really happy with where it's going."

From the outset, Siri was hailed by critics as a milestone for Apple ? an "intelligent" computer assistant with "great potential." But there were a few high-profile stumbles, including an early outage?and a flap over the filter, which apparently excluded results for abortion clinics. More recently, IBM banned Siri on company-issue phones. The reason: Apple has not disclosed whether or where it stores data collected from Siri searches.?

So what kind of improvements does Cook have in mind? Well, Apple is staying mum on the details, but it seems safe to say that at very least, we're looking at a patching-up of the various interface errors that have affected the app in the past. We also expect an advance in Siri's "intelligence" ? in other words, the effectiveness and speed with which Siri answers your questions.?

Lastly, we'd wager that Apple is planning on more deeply integrating voice-controls into the overall iPhone experience, perhaps as soon as this fall, when the next iPhone is expected to hit shelves.?

For?more tech news, follow us on?Twitter @venturenaut.?

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Ross Deviated From Objectivity And Neutrality In Managing ...

Doha ? Morocco?s withdrawal of its confidence in UNSG personal envoy for the Sahara Christopher Ross stems from the Kingdom?s conviction that Ross deviated from objectivity and neutrality in managing the negotiation process on this conflict, Communication minister and government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi said.

In an interview published Monday by Qatari paper ?Al Arabe?, El Khalfi said that the withdrawal of confidence in Ross is the result of his biased and unbalanced stances which undermined his ability to manage a successful negotiation process on this artificial conflict.

?Under Ross?s supervision, the negotiation process was supposed to lead to an acceptable political solution to this long-running dispute related to a national issue of paramount importance for us,? the minister said, recalling that Ross remained, throughout the period during which he was managing the talks process, unable of making the parties concerned engage in real negotiations to reach a solution.

The withdrawal of confidence in Ross is a real invitation for the UN to see to it that the Security Council resolutions, which call for real talks to achieve a lasting and mutually-acceptable political solution, redress the situation and take the measures necessary to put negotiations on the right track, are duly implemented.

The UNSG personal envoy for the Sahara was in charge of managing the negotiations process for around three and a half year, El Khalfi emphasized, saying that he was supposed to oversee two or three set of talks utmost. ?Today, we have held nine rounds of informal talks with no prospect for resolution. There is an ambiguity on the Sahara issue which makes us think that it has reached a dead end and that talks are no making any progress.?

The minister recalled that Morocco submitted in 2007 its autonomy proposal for the southern provinces as a solution of ?no winner, no loser?.

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Concert on National Mall shut down by thunder

A Marine salutes as motorcycles drive past during the annual Rolling Thunder parade ahead of Memorial Day in Washington, Sunday, May 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The National Memorial Day Concert has been canceled due to a line of thunderstorms that moved into the District of Columbia on Sunday night.

About halfway into the concert, an annual event on the National Mall, host Gary Sinise told the audience there was a severe weather warning and advised concertgoers to leave and seek shelter.

Mike Musher of the National Weather Service says the thunderstorms developed over Pennsylvania as part of the weather system that created record high temperatures in the Midwest on Sunday.

The Memorial Day concert, broadcast by PBS, features songs from pop and country performers, patriotic music from military bands and stories of heroic acts by U.S. troops. Country singer Trace Adkins and rock band Daughtry had already performed before the plug was pulled Sunday.

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Your Home Has Some Options For Flooring That Are Best - Lynch

Your comfort and the appearance of the rooms in your home are largely impacted by the type of flooring you have installed. Changing the floors can completely transform a house. When it comes to flooring, you?ve got lots of choices. Want simple? You can use several area rugs. If you want to go all-out, you can get the best hardwood floors you can afford. Looking for a few flooring ideas and suggestions? Whether it?s the flooring in one room or your entire house that you?re wanting to change, you?ll be helped by the following suggestions.

Recently, more and more homeowners are deciding to go with cork flooring. This is because cork has many benefits. Many homeowners choose cork flooring because of its appealing look, affordability, and durability. It?s regarded as a green flooring type because its primary material is the bark of live trees. If you?re concerned about the environment, you should be aware that no trees are cut down in the manufacture of cork flooring. You?ll find that there are a number of cork flooring types available. Some cork flooring types need to be glued down to the base floor, and some are cork planks that are interlocking pieces.

If you want, you can apply wood stain finish on your cork floor. Cork is an inexpensive flooring material, but the various cork flooring types do range in prices depending on their quality and style. There are good reasons why hardwood floors are so popular. In a bedroom or living room, they make a floor that is especially attractive. No matter what your house looks like, you should be able to find a type of wood that will match. Installing hardwood floors usually needs to be hired out, and the entire cost of the job can be high. Yet the cost varies depending on the type of wood you choose. If you are planning on selling your house, it will have a higher value if you have hardwood floors. The expense is definitely the biggest negative. Caring for them takes time and effort, and water will damage them quite easily.

If you want to find out more about satelite direct be sure to check out community forums, wikipedia and various other wikis, search engines besides other resources.

If you want to give your home a great transformation, give the kitchen or bathroom new flooring. These are the kinds of projects that will add value to your home. Still, it would be wonderful to have new flooring in these rooms even if you don?t intend to sell your house. Ceramic tile is the best choice for kitchen flooring, as it?s both attractive and not hard at all to clean. For the bathrooms, tiles are great as well. Besides tiles, vinyl is a good bathroom flooring option because it is highly resistant to moisture. If you?re into doing home improvement projects, you can install the vinyl or ceramic tile flooring for your bathroom. If you?re not so sure about your skills or you can?t really spare any time for this kind of project, you can hire someone to install the flooring for you.

You have to select the kind of flooring that will look and feel best in your home, and that?s also within your budget. Even after you?ve selected the basic flooring type to install, you have to decide some more. Let?s say you want to have wall-to-wall carpeting in the living room. You?ll need to decide on the carpet style, color, and material. The same is true for tiles and wood. So keep the above tips in mind and make sure you choose the kind of floor that you?ll be satisfied with for many years.

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Monday, May 28, 2012

UK Conservative chairman

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How Search, Social Media and Content Accelerate Your Business ...


social media book reviewsYour customers get 99% of their information from search engines, social media referrals, online news sites and targeted content.

If your business is NOT there among the solutions when your customers are looking, you?re lost.

And even if they do find you some other way, you will still lose if you don?t have compelling content to keep them engaged with your brand.

And so you must publish, you must tell stories and you must become interesting to your customers so that they find, like and trust you.

In his book, Accelerate! Move Your Business Forward Through the Convergence of Search, Social & Content Marketing, Arnie Kuenn puts it simply:

?Web users are consumers of content and you need to deliver compelling content that will engage them, and keep them coming back for more.?

This book is about successful digital publishing and consistent content quality. The author explains that if you do it right and strive for quality, you?ll produce content that:

  • Attracts links.
  • Compels people to share it on social media.
  • Meets the real needs of your customers.

Here?s what you need to know about Accelerate! by Arnie Kuenn.

Author?s Purpose

arnie kuenn photo

Arnie Kuenn, author of Accelerate!

Arnie Kuenn wrote this book for website owners (that?s you!) to get you thinking like a publisher.

And he should know something about that, because he self-published this book. Kuenn is sharing not just theory, but experiences from his own success as an online marketer and publisher!

He wants you to have a thorough understanding of:

  • How digital publishing works.
  • How to create the kind of content your customers are looking for.
  • How to ensure that they find it and share it.
  • How all of these things will ultimately strengthen your online presence.

What to Expect

book cover

At 13 chapters (257 pages), Accelerate! is a meaty book. It?s a very analytical and logical guide to Internet marketing. If you?re not an experienced Internet marketer, this book will give you the confidence you need to execute digital publishing from the perspective of content, search and social media.

Even if you?re a veteran Internet marketer, you can expect to get a much firmer grip on these concepts and how each contributes to the publishing process.

You?ll discover that a content strategy is very much like the links in a bicycle chain. These links are:

  • Strategy
  • Research
  • Content creation
  • Promotion
  • Distribution
  • Link-building
  • Measurement

Not only is each link vital to the strength of the whole chain, but also all links must be connected (break one link and the whole things falls apart!).

Highlights

Each of the 13 chapters serves as a powerful brainstorming exercise for your next piece of content. However, there are some key concepts that I feel compelled to highlight.

#1: Target Your Traffic Through Keyword Research

Keywords play a powerful role in a content marketing strategy. They are the basic means of communication between searcher and search engine, representing the searcher?s voice and interest. Here?s how to brainstorm for relevant keywords and phrases:

  • What are the key terms that you identify with your industry?
  • Do your products come in different styles or colors?
  • Do you have model numbers or serial numbers that someone might search for?
  • Would your product or service be categorized differently by region, or even by country? For example, one searcher might search ?auto insurance? and another might search ?car insurance.?
  • Consider your products or services by components. For example, if you sell playground equipment, what are the components of the playground equipment that you sell: swing set, slide, monkey bars, etc.?
  • From your market research, determine what kinds of questions people are asking about your industry. Do these questions give you new insight into how your products are being seen that you hadn?t considered before?

Remember, the main idea in brainstorming for keywords and phrases is to think like a searcher and put yourself in his or her shoes.

#2: Content Must be Maintained to be Successful

Content needs constant maintenance to be successful. You can?t ignore maintenance. Your content represents your brand and your expertise?your ability to meet the needs of your customers. Whether online or offline, the content you publish needs to be kept up to date in order to remain relevant, timely and accurate.

Here are some common content issues that creep up when maintenance is neglected:

  • Old, inaccurate or irrelevant content
  • Broken links within the content
  • Policy changes that may affect content
  • Inconsistency with branding style
  • Inaccurate or missing meta-descriptions

To begin monitoring your existing content assets, you will need to do a content audit, which involves using a simple Excel spreadsheet to take inventory.

In the end you want to keep content that:

  • Is relevant, timely and useful.
  • Meets your organizational goals.
  • Adds value to your customers? experience.

#3: Proper use of Links to Optimize Content

The way that you handle links is a significant part of search engine optimization. The most important thing is to make it clear where a link will take your visitors?don?t surprise them. Using ambiguous or generic words such as ?click here? as anchor text, is a less effective linking strategy than using clear and definitive words.

chain links

Proper use of links means more visibility and success. Image source: iStockPhoto

Here are some link tips:

  • A link?s color should be different from the main text?most people expect it to be blue and underlined, so you might want to keep that in mind as you set up your style sheet.
  • The words that you highlight (anchor text) should be a good clue to the content that you?re linking to. Try not to send your visitor to a page that they?re not expecting.
  • Broken links look sloppy and give the impression that you?ve forgotten about the page. Both users and search engines frown upon broken links.
  • Search engines want to see links in your content, and internal links are the easiest way to accomplish that. Internal links are clues to your website?s relevance.
  • When using internal links, avoid generic anchor text such as ?Want to read more? Click here.? Again, search engines want to see relevance in the anchor text. To ensure relevance, make sure that the anchor text for those links matches the title of the page it links to, whether it?s a page on your site or a page on another website.
  • Above all, links should direct users to a page that is relevant to the content that they are currently engaging. Directing users away from the topic at hand is a surefire way to lose their attention.

#4: Use Social Media to Promote Content?the Right Way

The greatest value of social media is that it?s social. You have the opportunity to engage and interact with potential customers by adding a sense of familiarity and comfort to your brand image.

The Motor Lodge in Prescott, AZ is a great example of a small business doing this on Facebook. They?ve generated a following of about 1,600 fans on their page, and are keeping them engaged with updates about life at the hotel (even though most of their followers aren?t immediately looking to spend the night in Prescott).

Their success comes first from a quality website that demonstrates who they are, is appealing to visitors and is easily navigable.

motor lodge website

The Motor Lodge has a visually attractive website that shows off their brand's personality.

Second, they consistently post interesting content on Facebook, such as stories about their resident cat Shadow, and invitations for fans to ?come to our place for a good shower.? Their updates treat followers as friends and even more importantly, the down-to-earth posts encourage comments and interaction.

Third, their updates aren?t necessarily about them, but rather offer reasons to come to Prescott, AZ. These kinds of updates don?t sound like advertising, but for last-minute getaways, this quaint little town will be on the radar of most of their fans, and they?ll have a reason to stay at the lodge!

You can do this too by building relationships on Facebook so that when you have some content to promote, you have an audience that?s ready to receive it. Take a look:

motor lodge fans

Motor Lodge fans really love this hip little motel in Prescott, AZ.

Personal Impression

Accelerate! is an exceptional book and now that I?ve read it, I?m a HUGE fan of Arnie Kuenn! If you read it, you?ll see why.

I love that he talks about something often overlooked that is at the very heart of digital publishing: that it?s not just about content marketing and social media. Far from it!

There?s a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes to boost online presence. Things like research, link-building, content curation, content audits, understanding how search engines work, reputation management and other activities which are extremely important parts of the digital publishing process?and they?re all very well explained in this book.

You?ll find tremendous value in this book and some tips in particular; for example, how to send link requests that don?t get deleted, and how to approach bloggers who are out of your league. He even explains how to develop a customized pitch. To say that this is a great book is an understatement. So if you?re doing business online, you absolutely have to read Accelerate!

If Social Media Examiner could give this book a 6-star rating, we would! But there?s no such thing, so a full 5-star rating will have to do!

What do you think? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.

Image from iStockPhoto.

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Strategic Planning Facilitator Projector Skills - IdeaMarketers.com


by Claire Burns
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strategic planning facilitator More Details about strategic planning facilitator here.

As a strategic planning facilitator, have you taken a look at how you use projector and remote? If not, then you should start now. A lot of facilitators think that projector is just a means to an end and that the only function it serves is to make sure you have means to show what's on your computer screen. This is true to a certain extent, since obviously projecting is its primary goal. Using it effectively in facilitating is a different thing all together though.

Checking your projector before a session is part of effective planning. It is always advisable to enter the conference or training room early so that you can at least check that the projector is working. Most projectors take around three minutes before they warm up so coming in right on time means you will have to spend the first couple of minutes of your session waiting for the projector to turn on.

Once you have switched the projector on, you should check your remote control next. As a strategic planning facilitator, it's important for you to know how to use the remote control correctly. In some locations, the standard sized remote control may have already been replaced by small finger-sized usb remote that you have to plug into your computer.

A standard projector control has a couple of basic functions. The first is to freeze your screen. At some time during your presentation, you might need to open up another screen for example. Instead of having to make your participants see the rest of your screen, you can freeze it and all the participants will see is the screen you were last on. The projector remote will also have a button to choose input options. If you use two computers as a lot of facilitators do, you have the capability to switch screens right from the projector.

Other than those buttons, most remote controls also have mouse buttons. These mouse buttons will allow you to move through presentations without having to go back to your pc. The advantage of this is that you don't have to walk from one location to another - a hassle when your facilitator training area is far from the computer you are using.

And that's it. You now know how strategic planning facilitator projector skills for your next class or meeting.

SilverQuest provides consulting services to individuals, businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. Visit their site http://www.silverquest.com/ to learn more about their consulting services.

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

NASA: SpaceX docking ranks near top of space-age 'firsts' (+video)

The successful docking of the SpaceX Dragon capsule with the International Space Station Friday is a landmark moment in opening space to wider use, NASA officials say.

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / May 25, 2012

The SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft (top) approaches the International Space Station Friday.

NASA/AP

Enlarge

The first commercially operated cargo ship destined for the International Space Station entered the record books Friday when the station's crew confirmed that SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft was securely docked to the orbiting outpost.

Skip to next paragraph

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'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "off"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // --> The International Space Station's crew confirmed that SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft was securely docked to the orbiting outpost.

Dragon cleared its first major hurdle of the day Friday when station flight engineer Don Petitt, the mission's grappler-in-chief, captured the Dragon capsule with the station's robotic arm as the craft free-floated some 30 feet from the docking port.

?Houston? Station. Looks like we've got us a dragon by the tail,? Dr. Petitt said as NASA's mission control confirmed that the arm's grip was solid.

Without skipping a beat, he deadpanned, ?We're thinking this sim[ulation] went really well. We're ready to turn it around and do it for real,? as applause and hugs broke out in two control rooms ? NASA's and SpaceX's at the company's Hawthorne, Calif., headquarters.

Until its conclusion on May 31, the mission remains a test flight ? combining into one mission the objectives initially planned for two launches this year. But its?success so far signals that a company NASA has helped nurture can perform the difficult feat of lofting a craft capable of catching up with another spacecraft traveling at faster-than-bullet speeds, matching its pace, and safely docking with it ? something no other privately-operated spacecraft has done.

Indeed, Dragon was not merely carrying a demonstration payload of roughly 1,000 pounds of food, clothing, and other items to the space station. It was carrying the hopes of a US commercial spaceflight industry aiming to build a thriving space-transportation sector in much the same way fledgling air carriers emerged during the early decades of the 20th Century to build a thriving commercial air-transportation industry.

Over the years, NASA officials have spoken of the ?firsts? the US space program has accomplished, said Michael Suffredini, space-station program manager at NASA, at a news briefing Friday afternoon.

?This rates right at the top,? he said of the partnership between NASA and SpaceX. NASA established requirements SpaceX had to meet operating near the space station. Beyond those requirements, he said, ?a contractor relatively independent of NASA designed on its own a spacecraft, [then] completely built and tested and flew this spacecraft in a manner that has been remarkable.?

A space-station workout

The rendezvous and docking Friday gave participating space-station crew members a workout.

Although the process of grappling and berthing may look fairly simple, it isn't, notes astronaut Catherine Coleman, who grappled Japan's cargo craft, known by its acronym HTV, on its second supply mission to the station in January 2011. She likens it to trying to pass something from one car to another ? when both are traveling at interstate speeds.

On orbit, it's a Grey Poupon moment at 17,500 miles an hour.

?This is truly a momentous accomplishment for SpaceX and for the industry,? said former astronaut and space-station commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, now president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation in Washington, in a prepared statement.

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Relocating: Simplicity Your Relocation With San Francisco Movers ...

You can simplicity your relocation with movers when the time arrives. You have the alternatives of which firm to go by way of, and which would be the finest 1. This is one thing that provides you the most when the time arrives, and gets you all set to get everything with each other and to the new residence. Movers are happy with assisting their customers on all require amounts, and can aid with numerous items previous relocating this sort of as different places you may well need to have to know when it happens to moving to a various location. This is some thing that you will want to know, and a thing you can get all of the aid with. You no longer have to fret, and no for a longer time have to be concerned about the upcoming move. Pick the proper going organization for the job, and be happy with the outcomes that you have. It can be really worth have the moving firm there by means of anything.

Choosing the relocating firm to pack all your products is usually regarded to be a fantastic notion for going all your valuables. It will make sure that finest treatment is being taken for all the high-priced things and the ones that could not be replaceable. You can also think of packing your self. In such a scenario the going firm will just be there to shift all the products and you can save considerable sum but it will demand some additional energy and time.

It really should be established no matter whether you want the company to carry out certain duties like packing or you would do these on your very own stop. You really should ask for any extra charge in case of having these responsibilities accomplished from the organization. Additionally you can inquire about the packing supplies currently being used for making certain security of all the things that you want to shift.

Often go for the references from some other customers and if you really don?t locate any then you ought to think of some other firm to perform with. But as far as the shifting firm is concerned you will certainly discover so numerous references that can tell you about the commitment and professionalism of the firm and its employees. Aside from these references, doing a easy research can also be executed on world wide web for examining the customer opinions as well.

Whether it is a local or a long length move, a whole lot of planning is necessary to determine on all the relevant charges of shifting and to realize the want for using the services of a professional business that could support you. It is similarly essential that the business you select is dependable and offers not only substantial common packaging, but also productive services with no leading to a lot headache. The movers are this sort of a business that aims to do as the clients say. Neighborhood or prolonged distance, residential or industrial, the firm offers full assurance about their quality solutions and leaves no space for issues by its customers. Even if any difficulty is encountered, the organization immediately addresses it and acquires every way feasible for its punition.

At San Francisco Movers, customer care and satisfaction is our primary goal. We make it our top priority to deliver efficient worry free moving at a very affordable price. Each move is planned and coordinated according to each individual?s needs.

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Samsung spills Galaxy Notes ICS guts, releases kernel source code to devs

Samsung spills Galaxy Note's ICS guts, releases kernel source code to devs
Back when it was unveiled at IFA 2011, Sammy's famed phablet was more of an attractive oddity than sure hit. Skip to now, and that 5.3-incher's not only taken the European continent by storm, it's also made inroads onto these American shores via AT&T. In keeping with the open source embrace begun last October, the OEM's once again offering up the device's kernel code, this time for the skinned ICS OS unlocked versions currently run. Devs and the amateur hackers that love them should make haste and hit up the source below to get cracking on this latest software nut.
tags:Galaxy, IFA, Open Source, Samsung
filed under:Phones
source:2DayBlog.com
published:at 00:19, Saturday, May 26, 2012
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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Rep. Greg Walden: Debt and deficits only slow economic recovery

by In the news Wednesday, May 23. 2012

greg walden.serendipityThumb Rep. Greg Walden: Debt and deficits only slow economic recovery

by Rep. Greg Walden

Here is yet another reason why the coming election is so important: The average number of weeks for a job seeker to find employment has skyrocketed over the last three years, as you can see from the chart below. In April 2012, unemployed Americans waited on average 39.1 weeks before landing employment.

35 Rep. Greg Walden: Debt and deficits only slow economic recovery

Of course, ebbs and flows in the economy and the job market are natural. But the average length of time it takes an unemployed worker to find a job is at heights unseen since the?Bureau of Labor Statistics?started tracking that data in 1948. Prior to the great recession, the record high was 21.2 weeks, set in July 1983. That mark was broken in April 2009, and we?ve been above it for 37 straight months.

34 Rep. Greg Walden: Debt and deficits only slow economic recovery

We find ourselves at levels today that would have been literally off the charts three years ago.

Obviously, the only way to turn this around is to create more jobs and opportunities for small businesses to grow and invest. Unfortunately, the President?s budget promises more of the same. The latest economic analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says that his plan for more debt and more deficits will only slow down the economic recovery even further.

?For the 2018-2022 period, CBO estimates that the President?s proposals would reduce real output, on average, by between 0.5 percent and 2.2 percent compared with what would occur under current law,??according to their report.

It?s time for government to tighten its belt and balance its budget just like families and small businesses do every month. We can?t afford more of the same. If you need proof of that, just look once more at the charts above.

To visit Congressmen Walden?s web site, click here

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Personal Development Advice That Can Help You Move Forward

Before reacting to a challenge, take time to think. Even if it is only thirty seconds of time, these seconds will give your mind time to process information that your initial gut reaction may have overlooked. Don?t make this thinking time into your reason for not to taking action, by the way. Set a deadline time for when a choice must be made.

If you are not sure where to start or what to change, imagine that you have to explain to someone in authority what you would need to do to develop or progress. If you have to, write it down and think about what would you need say to convince someone else that you are on the right path? This will help you be more clear about what you want to accomplish.

Before you can begin your journey to bettering yourself, you need to really take a step back to assess whether or not you are willing to change or make the necessary changes to becoming a more developed person. If you are willing to change, the process will be easier and you can be successful with your goals.

Know what your values and principles are. These are the driving forces of your life, so be clear about what you value and how you live your life. Being authentic and sure about what you believe will make choices easier, as well as give you confidence in the face of any conflict.

Educate yourself. Reading books is a great way to keep your mind exercised as you work towards your self-improvement goals. You can find classic books on the subject of self-help, but even reading books about your country?s history or your favorite hobby can do wonders. Not only will you gain knowledge, but your mind will also remain sharp.

If you think that nature is what you walk through to get from the car to the house, rethink. People who never spend time in nature have a higher incidence of anxiety and stress related illnesses. Be sure to take time to go to the park and stroll, go for a bike ride. Observe wildlife, plants and the changing of the seasons for a boost in mid-brain serotonin and lowered blood pressure.

Life does not go on forever. Make each day of your life as beautiful as a masterpiece. If you stop and think each morning that you are going to make that particular day the best of your life and then you strive to meet that goal, you are sure to find that you are capable of living a life you enjoy and are proud of.

By applying the tips you?ve learned in this article, you are well on the way to improving your life, not just now, but for the future. You have the knowledge, you need only take the initiative yourself and do everything you can to make sure you stick with it.

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The beauty in the details: Idaho?s ?Field of Heroes?

In Pocatello, Idaho, virtually the entire town has been involved in a special Memorial Day celebration. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

By Mike Taibbi, NBC News correspondent

POCATELLO, Idaho?--??I was walking past a hard-used SUV when the passenger window rolled down and a?woman?s?crooked finger?emerged, summoning me over to talk.

?See that man over there, in the red cap???she asked.??That?s my husband.? He started all this???

?All this.? As I let my vision follow hers,?I saw?a vista beneath a morning drizzle of more than 6,000 simple white crosses arranged more or less precisely,?filling the entire soccer field behind?Pocatello?s?Century High?School.? The crosses, seized together by a local Korean War veteran?and then painted, labeled and tapped carefully into the turf by hundreds of volunteers of every age and interest, were?the once-a-year memorial to the fallen in America?s two longest wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

?We have right now?6,378?casualties,? said?the man in the cap, who introduced himself as?John Rogers.? ?Each cross has a label, with the name and unit and casualty date?and if we can keep this going we?re not gonna forget them.?

I told him his?wife?Joyce?had?explained his motivation to me:?on the day he came home to San Francisco from?his war,?Vietnam, a ?hippie girl? protester?had met him as he stepped off the ship and let him know for the first time what his welcome home would be like????no matter his two Purple Hearts and three tours fighting for his country.

John?nodded.? ?She come up to me, she stops and holds up her arms like this??? He pantomimed carrying an infant.???And she says, ?Hey, you baby burner!??

So in 2004,?with?the controversial Iraq war a year old and Afghanistan an intensifying warzone following 9/11, he decided to see to it that the veterans fighting and dying in those two conflicts would be treated differently.? He got some fellow veterans to help him find the wood for the crosses and to fabricate simple labels,?and?talked the town into giving him the use of a piece of land. Then he?set up the first ?Field of Heroes.?

It was a simple idea, ?sort of like the Vietnam?Memorial in Washington,? Rogers said.? A gathering place where each name with identifying details would allow loved ones to reclaim moments of personal connection and remembrance, while permitting strangers who just needed to give thanks a gateway to learn what they choose to learn about the heroes who gave their lives so the rest of us can continue to flourish in ours.

That first year, there were fewer than 1,400 crosses.? Now, with well over 6,000, there?s almost no more room for additional crosses on Century High?s field;? but the Iraq War is effectively over, and Afghanistan is winding down.

Mike Taibbi / NBC News

Iraq war veteran Bruce Marley paints the crosses marking fallen comrades at Pocatello, Idaho's 'Field of Heroes.' Each cross includes the soldier's name, rank, unit, and type of casualty.

?If we?re lucky, we won?t need this eventually,? Rodgers said.? ?But look,? he?continued, gesturing.??Now we have people?? veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan???they come here and find the special friend they lost over there???they get down on their knees and pray, in front of their crosses.?

And then there are the loved ones of the fallen:?like Tiffany Petty, whose husband Jerrick?Petty, with two toddlers back home in Pocatello, volunteered to go to Iraq only to be killed three days after landing.? Tiffany spent?several days with the volunteers affixing labels on the crosses of the other war dead, whose service and sacrifice have too often been overlooked by too many.

?I?ve seen that happen, and it just hurts,? she told me.??It hurts your heart, it hurts your soul???we need to remember these people.?? She looked across the broad field,?a?thick coil of labels hanging from one wrist.? ?And we need to remember them not as a group of people, but as?specific?people.?

Prepping for Memorial Day

For a few years now, Pocatello?s ?Field of Heroes? has been too big a job for John Rogers to handle with just a handful of friends.? Now Bannock County is lending a hand, and whole platoons of volunteers plow into a full week of preparatory work so the field will be ready when the long Memorial Day weekend starts.?

Mike Taibbi / NBC News

Pocatello, Idaho's annual memorial, 'Field of Heroes,' honors each of the dead service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Scout troops, high school kids,?and?senior citizens pitch in, alongside?strangers?who are?moved to lend a hand. Big tents with generator-fired heaters?warm?the volunteers;?the local Sign-A-Rama shop makes?and donatesthe waterproof labels;?and professional surveyors measure?the field and line?up the rows so the matrix of crosses looks the way it should.? In the middle of the Snake River Plain, in the shadow of the foothills of the Rockies, more than a full brigade of the honored dead?appear?in silent and precise formation.

The visitors come from all over the?West, bonding?over?a patriotism that?s as humbling as it is palpable,?and?understanding each other?s tears.??In fact, there?s nothing like it anywhere in the country, though the feelings generated by a visit to this Pocatello yearly shrine are like those?that arise from?a famous national shrine:

?Arlington Cemetery is a long way from here,? said?Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad.? ?There?s a special spirit there???but you come here, you can feel that same spirit.?

?It?s immense now,? Rogers said, a touch of wistfulness in his voice as he surveyed?what his simple idea had turned into.? ?But it?s not just a field of crosses?you can come out and read each name?the dates, the places they died?and if you want you can learn their stories.

?It?s important, that we don?t forget the young people we?ve sent to war.?

The old soldier smiled.? ?Oh yeah,? he said, pointing to the flags stretched by the breeze on the periphery of the field. Each flag?was?accompanied by a yellow streamer.? ?I still make the printed yellow ribbons for every local soldier coming home.? I?ll keep doing that.?

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Brewer taxes to increase after decade ? Bangor ? Bangor Daily ...

BREWER, Maine ? Steep declines in revenues, a flat citywide property value and increased costs mean city officials are proposing a property tax increase of $1.04, Finance Director Karen Fussell and City Manager Steve Bost said Thursday.

?We?re actually having a mill rate increase ? the first in a decade,? Fussell said. ?We knew this day would come and we?ve put it off as long as possible.?

The City Council will hold a special meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday to present the city and school budgets to the public.

Brewer has held or lowered its property tax rate for the past 10 years, with this year?s rate set at $17.95 per $1,000 in property value. Under the draft fiscal year 2013 budget, the tax rate would increase to $18.99, Fussell said.

?Everybody?s taxes are pretty much going up across the state,? she said.

?We knew there was going to be an increase, and our job was to keep it as low as possible,? Bost said.

Brewer?s proposed municipal budget is approximately $33.1 million for next year, about $590,000 more than the 2012 budget.

The lion?s share of the increase ? around $392,000 ? is from increases to the school department budget, Fussell said.

?The city and school both worked extremely hard to offset revenue losses and reduce costs,? she added.

The fiscal year 2013 school budget is $19.98 million, about a 2 percent increase. It includes funding for one half-time gifted and talented teacher, but no others, and maintains all the programs and services now offered, Gretchen Gardner, the school department?s business manager, has said.

The school department is getting about $475,000 less in state and federal revenue, and the city?s state revenue sharing has decreased for the fifth straight year.

?We?ve seen a $450,000 decrease [annually] since ?08,? Fussell said. ?I didn?t think it could go any lower.?

Both the school and the city are tapping undesignated fund balances to offset what residents must pull out of their pockets, according to Fussell and Gardner.

The school department plans to use around $1.7 million of its carry-forward funds, leaving about $900,000, Gardner has said, and the city is using $450,000, which is $100,000 less than last year and leaves around $3 million, Fussell said.

Since the city?s property value has decreased slightly over the past three years, ?having no change [in the value for 2013] we think is a positive sign? about the economy, Fussell said.

Tax increment financing, to the tune of $1 million, also is being used to pay for the entire economic development department, the Brewer Business and Commerce Park, and for the debt service for both the public safety building and the performing arts center at the Brewer Community School.

?It takes a considerable amount of pressure off the budget,? Bost said.

The city also is seeing increased fuel and retirement costs, and is proposing a 2.5 percent increase to the sewer rate while holding the water rate steady, the finance director said.

The draft municipal budget maintains all city services and doesn?t cut any jobs, Fussell said.

?Overall, we feel very good about this budget,? she said.

Gardner and Superintendent Daniel Lee will present the proposed school budget to the City Council on Tuesday, May 29, and the council is expected to vote on the combined budget June 5.

A school budget referendum is scheduled for June 12, which is the same day residents will cast ballots about possibly changing the city charter to require future school superintendents to be Brewer residents.

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S.Africa keen to replace Iranian crude with Nigerian

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Huddle Lands $24M Series C To Go Big On Enterprise Cloud Storage And Collaboration

16947v8-max-250x250Huddle, the six-year-old company that makes cloud collaboration software for the enterprise, has closed on $24 million in new funding, bringing its total equity funding to $40 million. The new round, which serves as Huddle's Series C, was led by Jafco Ventures, with DAG Ventures participating along with previous backers Matrix Partners and Eden Ventures.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

TV presenter: Piers Morgan told me how to hack

FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo, Piers Morgan, host of CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," leaves the CNN building in Los Angeles. Prominent British television presenter Jeremy Paxman has told an official inquiry that Morgan once gave him pointers on how to hack a mobile phone. Paxman's disclosure Wednesday May 23 2012 appears at odds with Morgan's suggestions that he had no direct knowledge of the shady practice which many British journalists used to score scoops. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)

FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo, Piers Morgan, host of CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," leaves the CNN building in Los Angeles. Prominent British television presenter Jeremy Paxman has told an official inquiry that Morgan once gave him pointers on how to hack a mobile phone. Paxman's disclosure Wednesday May 23 2012 appears at odds with Morgan's suggestions that he had no direct knowledge of the shady practice which many British journalists used to score scoops. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)

(AP) ? A prominent British TV presenter said Wednesday that CNN talk show host Piers Morgan gave him a primer on phone hacking, a revelation that suggests he knew a fair amount about how the shady practice was carried out.

BBC quiz show host and television news presenter Jeremy Paxman told a media ethics inquiry that Morgan delivered his warning over lunch at the headquarters of the Mirror newspaper, which he was then editing, in 2002.

Paxman said that Morgan "turned to me and said, 'Have you got a mobile phone?'"

"I said, 'yes,' and he asked if there was a security setting on the message bit of it. ... I didn't know what he was talking about.

"He then explained the way to get access to people's messages was to go to the factory default setting and press either 0000 or 1234 and that if you didn't put on your own code, (in) his words, 'You're a fool.'"

Paxman testified before Lord Justice Brian Leveson, who is sifting through the fallout of the scandal over unethical and illegal behavior at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World newspaper, which Morgan briefly edited before moving to the Mirror.

Journalists at the now-defunct tabloid routinely hacked phones to get stories, bypassing weak security to illegally eavesdrop on private conversations of politicians, celebrities, sports stars, and other public figures.

The scandal that erupted when the full extent of such practices was exposed last year has rocked Britain's establishment, leading to the arrest of dozens of people and casting a harsh light on relations among the press, politicians, and the police.

Morgan testified before Leveson late last year, suggesting he'd only been aware of phone hacking in general terms.

Quizzed repeatedly about statements he'd made suggesting that many in the British newspaper business were involved in phone hacking, Morgan claimed that he'd merely been repeating gossip he picked off the industry's rumor mill.

"I wasn't aware that it was widely prevalent in any specific form," he said in December, going on to explain that he was unaware of the details of what British journalists nicknamed "the dark arts." The CNN star has repeatedly denied having ever hacked a phone or knowingly run material obtained by phone hacking.

Morgan didn't immediately answer questions about Paxman's testimony sent via email, but he took to Twitter to make light of the development.

"Right ? that's the last time I'm inviting Jeremy Paxman to lunch," Morgan wrote. "Ungrateful little wretch."

Links between media and senior politicians are expected to come under scrutiny on Thursday, when the disgraced former aide to Olympics Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Adam Smith, is due to testify before Leveson. Smith resigned after email and text messages published by the inquiry showed him exchanging too-friendly emails with Murdoch lobbyist Frederic Michel, who was pressing Hunt's department to help ease the media mogul's multi-billion pound (dollar) bid for U.K. satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

Michel is also due to testify Thursday. Hunt's most senior civil servant, Jonathan Stephens, is due to testify Friday. Hunt is due to testify separately at a later date.

Associated Press

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